EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—No one denies Victor Cruz is a bona fide starting NFL receiver, a breakout star who after bursting onto the national scene last season has proven he’s not a one-year wonder.

He leads the Giants in receptions and emerged as Eli Manning’s go-to target. But Cruz leading the entire NFC in the fan’s portion of the Pro Bowl voting?

Victor Cruz has been even more impressive in his second season, given the obstacles he's overcome on the field, and humanity beyond football. (AP Photo)

“I’m humbled," Cruz said. "It’s just crazy to think, it’s crazy to even fathom the thought that just three years ago, I was a guy nobody knew, now I’m leading in votes for the Pro Bowl. Words can’t even explain how I feel about that. I’m just humbled by it and, hopefully, I can continue my high level of play, continue to catch the football, score some touchdowns and not let the fans down."

Cruz finished with 515,811 votes to outdistance Detroit’s record-breaking Calvin Johnson, which is quite an upset. But it’s not a shock the 26-year old Cruz—a player no one thought enough of to draft—has not only emerged as an exciting, productive player but also an uncommonly popular one.

Cruz has gone from unknown, undrafted free agent to the most well-known and marketable Giants player other than Manning. The salsa dance Cruz breaks into after scoring touchdowns—paying tribute to his Puerto Rican heritage and honoring his late grandmother, Lucy Molina—is hugely popular at MetLife Stadium. Giants fans punctuate every one of his receptions with a hearty cry of “Cruuuuuuuz."

President Obama called Cruz personally to help in the re-election campaign. Cruz not only made numerous radio appearances for the cause, he also went to Florida to help Obama in the Latino community.

Cruz often conducts interviews in fluent Spanish, he’s made commercials and is a spokesman for a number of companies. Following the Super Bowl, he went on an aggressive book tour for his memoir, “Out of the Blue."

The ascension has been remarkable.

Cruz, seemingly out of nowhere, made the roster in 2010 but spent the entire season on injured reserve. In 2011, he ended up setting a franchise single-season record for receiving yards (1,536) en route to hauling in 82 passes and nine touchdowns, plus 21 more catches in the playoffs, including a touchdown in Super Bowl XLVI.

There was no new contract. Cruz makes the veteran minimum of $540,000, although the structure for a new multi-year deal is in place in spite of doubts about whether he could come close to duplicating his breakout season. Falcons receiver Roddy White said Cruz was going to be in for “a rude awakening" in 2012 and seemed to denigrate Cruz by labeling him “more of a slot receiver; the big boys play on the outside."

As the Giants have bumped along as a wildly inconsistent team, the highlights haven’t flowed as freely this season—although Cruz did shred the Redskins on a 77-yard game-winning touchdown catch-and-run with 1:13 remaining in a 27-23 Giants victory back on Oct. 21. Cruz averaged a gaudy 18.7 yards per catch in 2011. That average is down to 12.7 yards this season as opposing defenses are determined to keep him under wraps, plus he’s been targeted with extra attention with Hakeem Nicks slowed all season with foot and knee issues. Still, with one game remaining, Cruz leads the Giants with 82 receptions for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns.

"More double teams, more guys in my face," Cruz said of what he’d faced this season. "Not so much off coverage, more physicality. More of them trying to get their hands on me, so it’s just something I just got to be prepared for and continue to work and defeat the coverage. It’s all part of the game. It’s all stuff that I have had to go through, so it’s not draining."

A gesture and visit made by Cruz late in the season stood out over anything he’s ever done on the field. The day after the horrific school shootings in Newtown, Conn., Cruz learned via Twitter that one of the victims, 6-year-old Jack Pinto, listed Cruz as his favorite player. Cruz called the Pinto family to express his condolences and the next day honored the memory of little Jack by writing “RIP Jack Pinto’’ on his right cleat, “Jack Pinto My Hero’’ on his left cleat and Jack Pinto’s name on his gloves. The grieving parents buried their son in a No. 80 Giants jersey.

“There are no words that can describe the type of feeling you get when a kid idolizes you so much that they want to, unfortunately, put him in a casket with your jersey on,” Cruz said. “I can’t even explain it.”

The day after the funeral, Cruz quietly and privately visited Newtown, spent time with the Pinto family and presented 11-year-old brother, Ben with the inscribed gloves and cleats.

“Incredibly proud of what he's done. Incredibly," coach Tom Coughlin said. "That family will remember that all their days. And somehow help to, hopefully, some of their grief might at least temporarily be spent in being able to embrace Victor Cruz. The fact that he went and did that speaks volumes about what he has inside."

Through it all, Cruz hasn't missed any games or any practices, never appearing to be anything other than that unknown trying to make it big.

"I'm just out here enjoying the moment," Cruz said. "I still feel like I'm out here as a free agent just still trying to work hard every time I'm on the practice field, every time on game day. I'm just continuing to be my same person, just continuing to keep my family close, and I think that's really helped me."